Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Your questions about policy and influencing
How can occupational therapists get involved in policy and influencing work?
By working together, we can have a much greater impact on policy and decision‑making than any of us could alone. When members’ lived experience, evidence from practice and national influencing come together, occupational therapy has a stronger voice and greater visibility.
We represent occupational therapy directly with governments, system leaders and decision‑makers across the UK, and alongside this we support members to play an active role in influencing change and raising the profile of the profession.
This includes:
- Regular policy and public affairs updates explaining what’s happening, where key influence points are, and why it matters for practice.
- Opportunities for members to share evidence and examples from practice, which directly shape and strengthen our national influencing.
- Clear signposting to consultations, calls for evidence and engagement opportunities where members can add their voice.
- Practical influencing and profile‑raising tools, including guidance on engaging with MPs and decision‑makers, acting locally, working with the media, and confidently sharing your OT story.
Our aim is to make policy engagement and profile‑raising feel accessible, practical and relevant, wherever you work and however you choose to get involved.
What is happening with independent prescribing for occupational therapists?
Independent prescribing is an important issue for the profession, particularly in some occupational therapy roles where it could reduce delays, improve continuity of care and make best use of professional expertise. However, prescribing requires national legislative change.
We remain actively engaged in national discussions on this issue and are part of the #PrescribingNow coalition, working alongside other allied health professional bodies. This includes active engagement with government and parliamentary stakeholders to press the case for change.
While progress ultimately depends on government decisions, we continue to actively monitor developments, play a constructive role in discussions, and ensure occupational therapy is represented where appropriate. We keep members informed as things evolve.
You can find out more on our prescribing rights webpage.
What would occupational therapists need to do to gain prescribing rights?
At present, individual occupational therapists cannot independently prescribe because this requires a change in legislation.
Securing independent prescribing remains an active area of work, with our current focus on supporting the national legal and regulatory conditions needed to make this possible in the future. Alongside active engagement with government to progress legislative change, we are also thinking ahead about how prescribing could work safely and effectively in practice.
If legislative change is agreed, this would be expected to involve:
- Prescribing being role‑ and context‑specific, rather than universal.
- Clearly defined education and training pathways, aligned with safe and effective practice.
- Strong governance and regulation, consistent with other non‑medical prescribing professions.
Members would receive clear national guidance before any implementation, so expectations, requirements and next steps are well understood.
You can find out more on our prescribing rights webpage.
How is workforce capacity being considered as OT roles expand?
Workforce capacity is a core consideration in all our policy and public affairs work.
As occupational therapists are increasingly recognised as critical to education, health, rehabilitation and social care reform, we consistently emphasise that:
- Role expansion must be matched by investment, recruitment and retention.
- Workforce planning must be addressed alongside service redesign, not afterwards.
- Education, career pathways and sustainable workload models are essential.
These principles underpin the RCOT Workforce Strategy 2024–2035. We continue to raise workforce capacity at senior levels across government and system leadership, including recently giving evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee and working closely with officials on the development of the Experts at Hand model.